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June 17 (UPI) -- King Charles III celebrated the first Trooping the Color ceremony of his reign as British monarch on Saturday, taking to horseback in London with members of the Royal Family. The formal ceremony marks the first official birthday of a British sovereign and has been a tradition for over 260 years.
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The 74-year-old king's actual birthday is in November.
Charles was joined on horseback in the military-themed performance by son Prince William, sister Princess Anne, and his cousin Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent.
Prince Andrew was the only one of Charles' siblings not to attend the ceremony.
William was dressed in full military regalia as Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
Queen Camilla was joined in a horse-drawn carriage by William's wife Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.
Camilla was recently installed as a ceremonial Colonel of the Grenadier Guards military unit. She donned a red military-themed dress for the occasion.
Kate wore a green dress in a nod to her title as ceremonial Colonel of the Irish Guards.
William and Kate's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis also attended, drawing a warm reaction from the crowd gathered in Central London.
The event involved more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.
The parade at Buckingham Palace closed with a military fly-by by the Royal Air Force, which the Royal Family members took in from the public balcony, waving to onlookers.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not attend the festivities.
